One of Jackie Chan’s first notable jobs in cinema was as a stunt double for the main antagonist in Bruce Lee’s 1972 film Fist of Fury.
The Academy Honorary Award-winning actor said it took a long time for him to emerge from Lee’s shadow when the opportunity finally came him to be a leading name in films.
“After Bruce Lee became a big star, everybody [tried to] follow,” he said on Thursday, during a talk at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
“When he died [in 1973], they needed action stars, but they didn’t care about acting. They only cared whether you could fight — hapkido, karate, whatever.”
Chan received his first starring role in the 1973 film Little Tiger of Canton.
As excited as he was to finally get his big break, his enthusiasm was somewhat tempered when he realised the director wanted him to emulate Lee’s fighting and acting style.
“I said, 'No, I’m not Bruce Lee. Nobody can be a Bruce Lee'," Chan said. "He said, ‘You are the second Bruce Lee.’ It was difficult.
“Even when the movie was released, I see a big poster and it said, in big letters, Bruce Lee. I walk closer and see they had written second above. They tried to cheat the audience and the movie bombed.”
From then on, Chan did everything he could to be the “opposite” of Lee, tweaking his fighting style and reactions in contrast to the famous Hong Kong martial artist.
It was from there that his comedy flourished. Many of his idiosyncratic moves, such as his rapid strikes or flapping his hand in pain after a punch, were developed as a result.
“I just did everything totally opposite,” Chan said. “I just tried being myself, slowly, slowly developing the Jackie Chan style.”
After proving himself in Asian cinema, becoming a household name in Hong Kong, China and Japan, Chan set his sights on Hollywood, where again he faced some opposition from directors who found his fighting style quicker than what was the norm.
Chan tried persevering, but he said he soon became unnerved and thought about returning to Hong Kong.
“I spent nine months learning English every day. A, B, C, D. How are you? Good. My name is Jackie Chan from Hong Kong. An action star,” he said.
“I didn’t have time to train. And whenever I’d do an action sequence, I was told to do less, to slow down. It was just a different culture.
"I said, 'No more Hollywood. They don’t like this kind of action'. I said, 'I’d rather stay in Asia and do my own thing'.”
Today, Chan’s fighting and acting style have become synonymous with the man, but in the early 1990s, filmmakers were not so eager to give him a chance … that is, until Rush Hour.
And while the role was specifically written for Chan, he said he was initially hesitant to take it on.
“I was playing police officers from Hong Kong, from Macau, from China," he said. "It was always a police officer.
"Can I do something else? ‘No’, they said. Then my manager said there’s a script called Rush Hour. Hong Kong police. I said 'No'.
"Then I said this would be the last time I try. My manager said you’re not playing an American-born Chinese. You’re a Hong Kong police who goes to America and speaks poor English.”
When Rush Hour became a success, Chan had already flown back to Hollywood when he received a call from his co-star Chris Tucker and director Brett Ratner, telling him the film made $70 million in its first weekend.
“Then we did part two and part three,” he said, before hinting at a Rush Hour 4, saying he was “going to meet the director tonight to talk about it.”
Chan also spoke about being awarded the Academy Honorary Award in 2016, saying when he first got the call from the Academy, he thought they meant he was going to present an award.
“I was filming on set and I couldn’t understand why they told me to keep it a secret for 24 hours,” he said.
“Then, everybody started congratulating me the next day, and I couldn’t understand. It was like a dream. When I went to the Oscars and met the director, I asked, ‘Why me?’
"She said that all 50 of the judges voted for me. The first one where they all agreed. It was really like a dream because I thought no action guy can win an Oscar.”
Chan has appeared in hundreds of films but he has no plans of slowing down.
He has plans to direct a drama and act in a film that he has been writing for three decades, which features just him and a bird. He also said he wants to do more love stories.
“I have so many things. So many scripts in my mind that I hope I can finish in the next 10 years.”
Scroll through images from the Red Sea International Film Festival below
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
